Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Easthampton - The Planning Board heard from diverse sectors of the public during a Tuesday night discussion on local zoning and recreational marijuana.
Youth advocates asked the board to limit the visibility of retail pot shops so as to avoid "normalizing" the drug.
Businessman David Boyle said marijuana establishments should not be allowed downtown or in the Highway Business zoning district.
Local resident Phil Knight dismissed marijuana "scare tactics" and said establishments should be treated just like bars and package stores.
Marty Klein, an artist who teaches marijuana cultivation, said Easthampton could become a pot destination, with "marijuana-friendly bed and breakfasts" and "tasting rooms" similar to the city's three craft breweries.
The discussion was informational in nature, and ensued after City Planner Jessica Allan provided the board with an update on the relevant issues.
Massachusetts voters in November legalized recreational marijuana use by adults. The office of State Treasurer Deb Goldberg must now craft regulations around cannabis business entities. Meanwhile, cities and towns across the state are struggling with how to write local zoning codes.
Several who spoke were with the Easthampton Healthy Youth Coalition, a group with a federal grant to fight teen substance abuse.
Paul McNeill described himself as a public health professional with a primary focus on substance abuse prevention. He said one of his top concerns for teens and children is "overexposure and normalization" of marijuana use.
McNeil pushed for keeping marijuana businesses in the mill district, instead of "the downtown walkable spaces near the elementary schools."
He said he is concerned about marketing and signage, as well as advertising that could appeal to the the youth market.
As for cafes where cannabis products could be consumed on site, McNeil said there is no data on how much can be safely consumed.
"We have no clue," he said.
McNeil asked the board to establish a 500-foot buffer zone between marijuana businesses and any school, and said he does not want to see greater access to addictive substances in Easthampton, a "family-friendly place."
Ruth Ever, coordinator of the Easthampton Healthy Youth Coalition, asked the board to consider various questions in their planning.
"What kind of message is being sent to our young people? How much exposure do we want our children to have to this drug? Are our laws adequate to ensure that those under the age of 21 can't get access?"
She quoted a letter from the Massachusetts Municipal Association which said cities and towns have a responsibility to ensure the new law is implemented in a responsible manner that protects the public interest.
"What do we want our community to look like when we walk down the street? How many pot shops would there need to be before it doesn't feel family-friendly any more?" she asked.
Ever said the public health community had to "fight tooth and nail" around issues related to alcohol and tobacco, and that it "should not be this hard to protect our young people from drugs."
Like McNeil, she warned against "normalizing" marijuana use through advertising and marketing, and said that many teens erroneously believe that pot is harmless.
Boyle, chairman of the city's Economic Development and Industrial Commission, said Easthampton should not "try to capitalize" on the marijuana business, which he described as a "race to the bottom."
"I don't think it's the same as the microbreweries," he said. "If I had my way as a benevolent dictator, I wouldn't have (marijuana shops) in the downtown or the highway business district."
Shannon Hicks, clinic director for the Center for Human Development, said she has seen a "major uptick in substance abuse disorder" over the past year, and asked that the board keep issues of teen and adult addiction in mind in crafting their rules.
Resident Andrew Shelfo read a letter from the the Williston Northampton School. The letter noted that the private school's "hundreds of high school-aged children" walk into downtown Easthampton every day.
"Unfortunately, many teens believe marijuana is safe," Shelfo read. "And widespread availability next to shops they already know and love would only reinforce this impression."
Marijuana is harmful to adolescent health and impairs concentration, memory, decision-making and academic performance, the letter stated.
Tricia D'Andrea, a parent and longtime Easthampton resident, spoke out against "head shops" and "vape shops" that sell marijuana paraphernalia.
Klein presented another point of view. After describing his marijuana growing workshops, he asked the Planning Board to reject "the old stigma and the old thinking" in crafting regulations.
"Someday I would like to see -- the way we have craft breweries now -- that maybe we'll have establishments with special strains of marijuana that they've bred, and people can go in there and sample the strains, and sit there and enjoy it."
Klein said he would like to see marijuana regulated the same way as alcohol.
While admitting that data and research is scanty on the issue of impairment, he suggested that there's a difference between drunk driving and stoned driving.
"There's an old expression that drunks run red lights, and stoners watch them turn green," Klein quipped.
He listed various issues, such as whether a business could "have a live plant on display," or whether a bed-and-breakfast could offer marijuana.
Knight, speaking last, countered that the board should honor the will of the people who voted to legalize marijuana, and should not "demonize it" or "always put it in the back room."
"I'm certainly not advocating marketing to children," he said. "But we should also take into consideration all the other people who do want marijuana in the town."
The state regulations are due on March 15, 2018. A yet-to-be-named Cannabis Control Commission could start issuing licenses for marijuana stores, grow rooms and cafes quickly thereafter.
Allan has suggested that the city consider imposing a temporary moratorium on marijuana businesses so as to create a window of time to craft a good zoning bylaw.
Planning Board chairman Jesse Belcher-Timme said there will be more opportunities for public input as the discussion continues. Any zoning change would require a joint public hearing with the Ordinance Subcommittee followed by an affirmative vote of the full City Council.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cannabis Fans And Foes Speak Out At Easthampton Planning Board Meeting
Author: Mary Serreze
Contact: 413-731-1036
Photo Credit: Ted S. Warren
Website: MassLive
Youth advocates asked the board to limit the visibility of retail pot shops so as to avoid "normalizing" the drug.
Businessman David Boyle said marijuana establishments should not be allowed downtown or in the Highway Business zoning district.
Local resident Phil Knight dismissed marijuana "scare tactics" and said establishments should be treated just like bars and package stores.
Marty Klein, an artist who teaches marijuana cultivation, said Easthampton could become a pot destination, with "marijuana-friendly bed and breakfasts" and "tasting rooms" similar to the city's three craft breweries.
The discussion was informational in nature, and ensued after City Planner Jessica Allan provided the board with an update on the relevant issues.
Massachusetts voters in November legalized recreational marijuana use by adults. The office of State Treasurer Deb Goldberg must now craft regulations around cannabis business entities. Meanwhile, cities and towns across the state are struggling with how to write local zoning codes.
Several who spoke were with the Easthampton Healthy Youth Coalition, a group with a federal grant to fight teen substance abuse.
Paul McNeill described himself as a public health professional with a primary focus on substance abuse prevention. He said one of his top concerns for teens and children is "overexposure and normalization" of marijuana use.
McNeil pushed for keeping marijuana businesses in the mill district, instead of "the downtown walkable spaces near the elementary schools."
He said he is concerned about marketing and signage, as well as advertising that could appeal to the the youth market.
As for cafes where cannabis products could be consumed on site, McNeil said there is no data on how much can be safely consumed.
"We have no clue," he said.
McNeil asked the board to establish a 500-foot buffer zone between marijuana businesses and any school, and said he does not want to see greater access to addictive substances in Easthampton, a "family-friendly place."
Ruth Ever, coordinator of the Easthampton Healthy Youth Coalition, asked the board to consider various questions in their planning.
"What kind of message is being sent to our young people? How much exposure do we want our children to have to this drug? Are our laws adequate to ensure that those under the age of 21 can't get access?"
She quoted a letter from the Massachusetts Municipal Association which said cities and towns have a responsibility to ensure the new law is implemented in a responsible manner that protects the public interest.
"What do we want our community to look like when we walk down the street? How many pot shops would there need to be before it doesn't feel family-friendly any more?" she asked.
Ever said the public health community had to "fight tooth and nail" around issues related to alcohol and tobacco, and that it "should not be this hard to protect our young people from drugs."
Like McNeil, she warned against "normalizing" marijuana use through advertising and marketing, and said that many teens erroneously believe that pot is harmless.
Boyle, chairman of the city's Economic Development and Industrial Commission, said Easthampton should not "try to capitalize" on the marijuana business, which he described as a "race to the bottom."
"I don't think it's the same as the microbreweries," he said. "If I had my way as a benevolent dictator, I wouldn't have (marijuana shops) in the downtown or the highway business district."
Shannon Hicks, clinic director for the Center for Human Development, said she has seen a "major uptick in substance abuse disorder" over the past year, and asked that the board keep issues of teen and adult addiction in mind in crafting their rules.
Resident Andrew Shelfo read a letter from the the Williston Northampton School. The letter noted that the private school's "hundreds of high school-aged children" walk into downtown Easthampton every day.
"Unfortunately, many teens believe marijuana is safe," Shelfo read. "And widespread availability next to shops they already know and love would only reinforce this impression."
Marijuana is harmful to adolescent health and impairs concentration, memory, decision-making and academic performance, the letter stated.
Tricia D'Andrea, a parent and longtime Easthampton resident, spoke out against "head shops" and "vape shops" that sell marijuana paraphernalia.
Klein presented another point of view. After describing his marijuana growing workshops, he asked the Planning Board to reject "the old stigma and the old thinking" in crafting regulations.
"Someday I would like to see -- the way we have craft breweries now -- that maybe we'll have establishments with special strains of marijuana that they've bred, and people can go in there and sample the strains, and sit there and enjoy it."
Klein said he would like to see marijuana regulated the same way as alcohol.
While admitting that data and research is scanty on the issue of impairment, he suggested that there's a difference between drunk driving and stoned driving.
"There's an old expression that drunks run red lights, and stoners watch them turn green," Klein quipped.
He listed various issues, such as whether a business could "have a live plant on display," or whether a bed-and-breakfast could offer marijuana.
Knight, speaking last, countered that the board should honor the will of the people who voted to legalize marijuana, and should not "demonize it" or "always put it in the back room."
"I'm certainly not advocating marketing to children," he said. "But we should also take into consideration all the other people who do want marijuana in the town."
The state regulations are due on March 15, 2018. A yet-to-be-named Cannabis Control Commission could start issuing licenses for marijuana stores, grow rooms and cafes quickly thereafter.
Allan has suggested that the city consider imposing a temporary moratorium on marijuana businesses so as to create a window of time to craft a good zoning bylaw.
Planning Board chairman Jesse Belcher-Timme said there will be more opportunities for public input as the discussion continues. Any zoning change would require a joint public hearing with the Ordinance Subcommittee followed by an affirmative vote of the full City Council.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cannabis Fans And Foes Speak Out At Easthampton Planning Board Meeting
Author: Mary Serreze
Contact: 413-731-1036
Photo Credit: Ted S. Warren
Website: MassLive
